Inside Hayden Panettiere’s final hours before heartbreaking death

Hayden Panettiere took a flight to South Carolina before holing up in an apartment in the final hours before her heartbreaking death.

The “Nashville” actress took a flight from Los Angeles to South Carolina on Saturday, TMZ reported. Panettiere was joined by her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, on the flight.

Sometime after landing, the duo arrived at a home located inside the Judson Mill Lofts apartment complex in Greenville.

Page Six confirmed that the unit is an Airbnb, though sources told TMZ that Brian and his brother were living there.

A resident of the apartment complex exclusively told Page Six that Panettiere seemed to stay inside the unit.

“I was shocked, as I’m sure everyone in Greenville was, to find out she was here,” the neighbor said. “I don’t know that she was there long, and I’m not sure she even ever left the apartment.”

The tenant also told us that they never saw her emerge from the home.

“I can only speak for myself, but you know, I never saw her [and] I haven’t spoken to anyone else that said they have,” the neighbor said.

Tragedy began to unfold on Sunday at 1:51 p.m., when a 911 dispatch call exclusively obtained by Page Six revealed that an “unidentified female” at the address had gone into cardiac arrest. Minutes later, authorities reported that there had been an “overdose” and that “CPR [was] in progress.”

Emergency responders arrived in two ambulances and attempted to resuscitate the “Heroes” star with advanced cardiac life support and chest compressions.

Panettiere was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. She was 36.

Cops confirmed that there were no signs of foul play in a statement to NBC News.

“Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene,” a Greenville police spokesperson told the outlet. 

“The case is under investigation by the Greenville Police Department in conjunction with the Greenville County Coroner’s Office,” the spokesperson said. “The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call.”

No cause of death has been confirmed.

We’re told law enforcement remained on the property for several hours after Panettiere passed away.

Meanwhile, the neighbor told us that he saw two men sitting outside the apartment with cops.

“They looked like they were in shock, not speaking, and had their heads down,” the neighbor, who could not identify whether one of the two men was Hickerson, said.

The neighbor told us that cops vacated the premises at around 8 p.m. on Sunday.

“The coroner vehicle showed up, and of course, I knew then that there was a death,” the resident said. “Then [I] woke up this morning to hear that it was Hayden, which is just still shocking.”

The tenant told Page Six that property managers informed residents of the complex that “it wasn’t anything criminal” and there was “no reason for anyone to be scared.”

Panettiere — who had struggled with depression and addiction issues — had been linked to Hickerson since 2018.

Their relationship was quite tumultuous, with several alleged incidents of abuse and domestic violence.

Panettiere even detailed Hickerson’s abuse in her 2026 memoir, “This Is Me: A Reckoning,” claiming that he allegedly slammed her head into a wall and beat her face so badly she couldn’t leave her house for weeks.

Hickerson admitted to being abusive toward her in May 2026.

If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.

If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).